


A dog, a dog owner, and an irritated husband

by ScribbleScribe (Sauny)



Series: Lives after War [2]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Life After War, M/M, Pets, Silly, The forty is celcius, it's 104f, which is not Australia's max temperature but lower
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-04-07 11:49:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4262235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sauny/pseuds/ScribbleScribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sniper and Spy find a house after the war, and the sniper gets a dog.<br/>Another episode where I write more gen fics than expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A dog, a dog owner, and an irritated husband

**Author's Note:**

> Also here: http://scribblewrites.tumblr.com/post/121149452251/a-dog-a-dog-owner-and-an-irritated-husband

He found the house exactly as it was, he told the other, it was abandoned before they got there. The dusty windows are enough evidence of that, if they weren’t evidence of poor house keeping, and the force that was needed to open the door clears up any doubts.

“Are you sure this is where you want to live?”

He looked at the other, covered in dust, and nodded, “Absolutely.”

Cleaning the house took time, a lot of it, and none of it was as simple as it first appeared. Dusty windows led to cracked sills, cracked sills led to holes in the walls, and the holes led them to a very apparent lack of furniture. They spent their first night on the floor, the smaller of the two men insisting that the taller give him his outer clothes as to not ruin his suit.

“We’ll have to go into town,” he said one morning, coffee in hand and a newspaper in the other, “We’ve got no food, or cutlery for that matter.”

“Also haven’t got a bed, in case you haven’t noticed.”

He tsked, straightening the paper with a flick of his wrist, “One-track mind, hm?”

“I’m not giving you my vest tonight.”

“A bed it is then.”

Slowly they progressed, the house being dug out from a year or two’s worth of neglect. Gardens were sown, for the smaller of the men, and fresh paint was applied. Animals were bought and trees planted around a home that looked like it’d never seen a day’s abandonment.

It was summer when they finished, settled in comfortably, and the heat hit the small building with an unforgiving wave. Both Australians, the damn dog and his owner, took it in stride. The foreigner, not so much.

“Aw, c'mon love. Just a quick run.” His hair was ruffled, and he glared at the chuckling bushman, “It’s not that bad, not even forty!”

He just rolled his eyes, “It’s not even forty- Hah! You make it sound like I won’t bake alive as soon as I leave this house.”

“You won’t, if Lucy can do it then you can.”

“She was born in the heat, do you not remember?” He closed his book, turning in his seat to face him, “You seem to forget how you were when we visited Bordeaux.”

“Well, that- it was bloody cold!”

“And now it’s bloody hot.” He settled back down, book open again in his lap, “No, I’m afraid you’ll have to walk the dog yourself.”

The Australian whined, stepping over to press his face to the back of the other’s neck.

“No.”

“Shared bath?”

“Still no.”

“A shared bath and I cook dinner?”

He snickered, “I think we both know that’s a bad idea.”

“Shared bath, massage, the dishes, and I do the gardening for a week?”

He smiled, “You must really love this dog.”

The taller man smiled into his neck, having won, “More you, but I’ll take it.”

“All right, but you’re doing the laundry too.” He stood, leaving his book behind with a reluctant sigh, “And if I even smell sweat on this shirt I’m not leaving this chair for the rest of the summer.”

“Deal.” His smile broke out into a grin, sealing the agreement with a firm kiss to the side of a pale cheek.

He sighed again, but let his mouth twitch into a small smile. The outside had been as hot as he’d anticipated and as soon as he stepped out into it his skin prickled, “This was a bad idea.”

“Too late now.”

He was dimly aware of a dog barking, sniffing his legs, but his thoughts were squarely focused on how inviting the air conditioned house was. A ball was placed in his hand, bringing him back to the moment, and he blinked as the Australian prompted him to throw it.

“You asked me out here to play catch.”

“Yup!”

He stared before dropping the ball back in the other man’s hand and turning back to the house. A strong arm stopped his progress, and he was forced back to his original position.

“Is this really necessary?”

“Just look at her, love.” He directed his gaze to the excited dog that was eagerly sitting in front of them, “How could you say no to that face?”

“Easily.” He looked down at the dog, making a quiet noise as he caught both her face and his partner’s. He gave them a moment, hoping for both their eyes to relent their endless pleading, before he gave in with an exaggerated groan and roll of his shoulders, “It is far too hot to be arguing.”

“Knew you’d see it from my side.”

He didn’t bother with a response, instead he took the tennis ball back from the Australian and tossed it up and down. Their dog jumped, running in small circles at his feet in her excitement. He managed a strong throw, sending the ball and the dog far past the garden bed and nearer to the shed. It took a few seconds for the dog to return and upon her return she deposited the, now slick, ball back into his hand.

With a grimace, he threw the ball again, and the process continued until his arm began to ache and Lucy slowed her excited chasing. He took the ball one last time and crouched down to scratch her scalp, silently appreciating that dogs didn’t sweat like he was.

“Tired yet?”

“Yes, I think I’ve had-” he turned, stopping when he spotted the cold drink being offered to him from a man who didn’t look like he’d been outside, in the heat, where it smelt of fertiliser.

“Something wrong?”

“You weren’t out here with me, were you?”

He shrugged, helping the Frenchman up and patting Lucy’s head, “Didn’t say I had to be. It’s damn hot out here.”

“Oh ho, oh you are in for it now.”

He smiled, backing up, “Now, love, we don’t need to do anything drastic.”

He lunged, knocking the drink free from his hand, and toppled the Australian back onto the porch. The man had the nerve to laugh, grabbing onto his attacker’s hips and laughing through the death stare he was receiving.

“Oh you are going to regret that, Cher.”

“Sure I will. Just have to catch me first.”

“Wha- Hold on!” He cursed, tumbling over as the taller man kept laughing and freed himself. He went storming down the halls of the house, laughter beckoning the other man to stand and grin.

“I will get you! Mark my words!”

“Kinda counting on it!” Was all he heard back, before he began his pursuit.


End file.
